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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Decision Points Book Review

I have always had respect for George W Bush-specifically his character. Whether he did a good job politically is beyond any sort of discussion I want to have on this blog, but as a person, I think Bush is a good man.

That being said, my interest was piqued when given the chance to read his book Decision Points. In the first few chapters, I gained a greater understanding of George W Bush’s background and why he is the man he is today.

I also found it fascinating to read his side of the story in relation to events such as September 11th, Hurricane Katrina and the drama involved in his election. At times I was shocked by how different his side of the story is from the media’s or from my own memory of the events he discussed.

I found the political aspects of his book to be somewhat interesting, though it eventually felt like the book had become a long justification for everything that went wrong, while being sure to point out everything that went right while he was in office. My father is very open about his political viewpoints and I couldn’t help but feel his influence as someone who no longer thinks very highly of Bush or the role he played in office and I’m sure that played a large role in how I viewed this book.

All in all, I enjoyed the chance to get to know President Bush a little better by seeing his presidency through his own perspective, though, at times it did feel like he was trying too hard to prove his point and to validate every decision he made as president.

This experience has made me want to read memoirs of other presidents to gain a greater understanding of the men who led our country and the experiences they had while doing so.